This is the week in which the college football title game entrants will determined.
Certainly top ranked Florida State not only controls its destiny, but also is likely to make the title game. The “Noles” are 29 point favorites against an upstart Duke team. It is very likely that beating Florida State is too great a task for Duke, but look for a Duke win in their bowl game to follow.
Does second ranked and unbeaten Ohio State control its destiny? That is the question of “Hamlet like” proportions to the teams involved in the national title race.
Likely they do and I believe that they should. Surely the late college football expert Beano Cook would agree, as he would have pointed to Ohio State’s unbeaten record.
I also believe Ohio State will get into the title game vs Florida State if they win the Big Ten title game. Winning that game vs Michigan State will not be easy. However, it says here it will be Ohio State vs Florida State in the title game in January.
The talk emanating from Auburn talks of the injustice if they are denied a title tilt appearance, should they beat Missouri. It says here Missouri will win the SEC title game vs Auburn.
Then Missouri will complain long and loud and with certain justification, if they are denied a title game appearance by Ohio State.
It is very likely that the Seattle Seahawks will be their conference’s one seed for just the second time in their 38 year history.
The Seahawks are (11-1) good for a three game lead in the NFC West and a two and a half game lead for the NFC one seed.
Seattle devoured the (9-3) New Orleans Saints last night and also beat the (9-3) Carolina Panthers in the season’s first game. Hence the two and a half game lead and a very likely one seed.
Perhaps it will be a redux of the 2005 NFC title tilt when the Seahawks won at home vs the Carolina Panthers. This week the Panthers can take a big step toward the NFC two seed if they win at New Orleans. The two teams have yet to play and will clash this Sunday night and again on December 22nd in Carolina.
The Detroit Lions who rolled to victory on Thanksgiving Day gained ground when the Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears. Meanwhile the Philadelphia Eagles kept pace with the Dallas Cowboys, who also won last Thursday.
This week the Cowboys and Lions root for each other as Detroit visits Philadelphia while Dallas goes to Chicago. The San Francisco 49ers with a one game lead for the NFC six seed, host the very likely one seed, Seahawks.
The Denver Broncos won vs the Kansas City Chiefs for the second time in three games and now lead the AFC West by one and a half games (they own the tiebreaker vs KC having beaten them in both head to head games).
Additionally, the (10-2) Broncos have a half game lead over the (9-3) New England Patriots for the AFC top seed. New England would have the tiebreaker by virtue of their comeback win vs Denver last week.
In turn, the Pats not only lead the AFC East by three games but have what likely is a half game lead for the very important two seed.
Both the Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts won yesterday to go to (8-4). The Colts have a magic number of one to win the AFC South. The Bengals have a two game lead in the AFC North.
Next week, the Colts visit Cincinnati in a game that will go a long way toward determining AFC playoffs seeding.
After one of the most incredible days in regular season College Football history, it appears very likely Alabama will not win a third straight title.
It was just two weeks ago in its previous home game that Auburn University snatched victory from defeat with a miracle tipped pass touchdown, to defeat Georgia.
Yesterday with the score tied at 28, Alabama attempted a 57 yard field goal that Auburn’s Chris Davis returned for a touchdown and a (34-28) Auburn win. That brought incredible positive emotions to the fans at Auburn.
The touchdown also produced great feelings for the Ohio State football team, which had a most incredible day. First the Buckeyes made it two straight (12-0) seasons under Urban Meyer, by surviving with a (42-41) win vs Michigan.
Then the incredible news that Alabama lost and now if Ohio State wins its Big Ten Championship game vs Michigan State next week (it will not be easy), they will play for the national title.
Florida State is now a big favorite to win that title. They took care of business winning at Florida and now face Duke in the A.C.C. title tilt. Duke, with its first 10 win season, is a great story.
At night Missouri beat Texas AM and will meet Auburn in the SEC title game. One would think the winner of that game will also need either Florida State or Ohio State to lose to play for the national title.
On Sunday, I predict the San Diego Chargers will win vs the Cincinnati Bengals.
However, as predicted earlier, I think the Baltimore Ravens will make the playoffs and not San Diego.
Also I predict the Bengals will still win the AFC North and not the Ravens.
On Sunday night, in a game NBC wishes it could take back, I predict the Washington team will beat the New York Giants.
A good Monday night game between the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints will go a long way in determining the NFC one seed.
In tonight’s tilt, I predict the Baltimore Ravens will win vs the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Somehow the “script” will be the defending champion Ravens grabbing the six seed in the AFC and journeying to Indianapolis and facing the Colts.
Of course, the Baltimore Colts left Baltimore in the middle of the night to go to Indianapolis and become the Indianapolis Colts.
The great Cleveland Browns became the Baltimore Ravens. Each decision was disgraceful and two great franchises would never be the same.
Enjoy the business today. Did I say business?! I meant to say games, or did I?
Colts leave town under cover of darkness
In my August 13th post, (Raiders and Cowboys notes), I looked forward to the Oakland Raiders visit to Dallas to face the Cowboys on Thanksgiving day.
The two teams rich in tradition are both pretty good this season. Dallas is (6-5) and tied for first in the weak NFC East.
Oakland has been unlucky, inexperienced or both and are (4-7). Certainly with Dallas in contention and Oakland on the periphery of the 6th seed race in the AFC, the game has meaning in the standings.
Sadly, Todd Christensen, a tremendous player with the Raiders and originally drafted by the Cowboys passed away recently, far too young at age 57.
I hope the former Cowboys’ player and great runner, Tony Dorsett, who played on a national champion and Super Bowl champion in back to back years in 1976 and 1977, gets better soon. Happy holiday to all.
Oakland vs Houston 1967
Next Monday night the (9-2) New Orleans Saints visit the (10-1) Seattle Seahawks in a game that could go a long way in deciding the NFC one seed.
The Seahawks lead the NFC West by three games and with a win next week would have a two and a half game lead for the one seed. The reason for that lead is that they would own tie breakers with both New Orleans and Carolina.
However, a New Orleans win would give the Saints the lead. Currently the Saints lead the upstart Carolina Panthers by a game in the NFC South. The two teams have yet to play each other and therefore have two meetings in the last four weeks of the season.
The other two divisions in the NFC have two teams tied with (6-5) records with the lead.
The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are tied for the NFC East lead while the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears lead the NFC North. The (5-5-1) Green Bay Packers are the Lions’ Thanksgiving Day opponent for the fifth time in the last six possibilities. Green Bay is (4-1) in the previous five contests.
And, a thought about the AFC:
The AFC has six (6-5) teams tied for the sixth seed lead! Three 6’s in this way may not be a “sign of the devil” but it is an indication of the mediocrity that permeates in our 2013 world.
The New England Patriots have a three game lead in the AFC East after their come from behind (34-31) win vs the Denver Broncos.
However, the (9-2) Broncos still control their destiny as far as AFC seeding. Yesterday, a three point game went the Broncos’ way when the San Diego Chargers won (41-38) at Kansas City vs the (9-2) Chiefs. The day ended with the Broncos and Chiefs still tied for first place in the AFC West.
Next week Denver travels to Kansas City. The Broncos won the first clash (27-17) at home. The Chiefs’ loss yesterday was within the division and could affect the tiebreaker down the road.
Though the surprising Arizona Cardinals ripped them, the Indianapolis Colts still have a two game lead in the AFC South. Last chance for the Tennessee Titans is in a game at Indy this week.
The idle Cincinnati Bengals still have a two game lead in the AFC North. With wins yesterday and the fact that the last wild card spot is wide open due to less than mediocre records, the Thanksgiving night tilt between two (5-6) teams has meaning.
The winner of the game that night in Baltimore, matching the Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers, will take a temporary lead for the second wild card spot in the AFC.
It was a great evening of entertainment at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts last night. Deana Martin, the featured performer, and her opening act, the Chris Gillespie Trio were dazzling.
First Chris Gillespie and his trio played some incredible jazz combining it with classical music.
Mr. Gillespie is a featured performer at the famed Carlyle Hotel. A combination piece of Johan Sebastian Bach and Dave Brubeck capped his opening performance in rousing style.
The featured performer, Deana Martin, is the daughter of the late, great Dean Martin. She showed her great voice and was incredible at moving the show with humor and great pace.
She is a beautiful woman, proud of her heritage and family. Her vast repertoire included “Everybody Loves Somebody” and “Volare.” It brought back nice memories.
Deana called people up on stage, made jokes and brought us in and out of the past. Stars were heard singing in her living room because they were actually there.
Of course, the greatness of dad Dean, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. were cited. That enhanced the natural talent and charm of Deana and her orchestra.
As the song imparts “I wish all the girls had Deana’s charm.” What a pleasurable evening!
Andy B Sports 